Special emphasis on Sicilian recipes within Italian regional cuisine in an Australian context
MEKON RIVER AND DELTA
Here are some photographs of some of the produce and food I enjoyed in Vietnam.
One big highlight of my trip was travelling to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. The company was Saigon River Express, the trip was by speedboat. The tour guide was very informative and eager to answer questions and staff were excellent and the chef who accompanied us prepared a simple meal. Read the review on Trip Advisor written by Bob Evans who accompanied me on the trip.I could not help making the comparison with Sicily. The produce was fresh, people shop daily, the vendors happy and proud of their fresh produce. The food we ate was authentic Vietnamese, the produce local and the chef and staff were very enthusiastic for us to try new produce. Staff responded to our enthusiasm and interest in what we were seeing and eating. Whether in homes or in restaurants I have always found Sicilians to be hospitable, generous, eager to please, warm and engaging; the Vietnamese people we encountered on this trip were no different.
MEKON RIVER CRUISE
Monks hatch and breed fish catfish in the monastery and return them to the river – a kind of thank you” we take fish from the river, we give it back”
Selection of preserved and fermented fish and shrimp paste
A few slices of the arica nut are wrapped in betel leaves for chewing – better than tobacco as a stimulant
Elephant ear, stalks of plant are used as a vegetable in cooking
Fresh rice spring rolls
Deep fried elephant fish
A platter of Milk apples. A large selection of luscious fruit and coconuts were bought at the Thu Thua market and offered to us throughout the day. We were pampered and never hungry.
